I started going through Breath of the Wild for the fourth time this week and though I was also playing it in handheld over Christmas, whacking it up on the big screen has reminded me just how much I love this game. I’ve devoured theory videos on YouTube, ‘things you missed’ lists, speedruns, making ofs, and bought both deluxe editions of the guide and creating a champion books, pouring over details in both. It’s comfortably my favourite game ever, something I never thought I’d be able to say about anything other than Ocarina of Time.
Now that we’re almost two years out, naturally my thoughts about the game have moved increasingly on to what I’d like from a sequel. Most opinion I’ve seen on the matter seems fairly reductively to be focussed on ‘want classic dungeons’ and ‘moar traditional story’. While I don’t disagree with either there’s other things I’m more interested to talk about so am creating my first thread in years turning to the fine minds of GR to get your opinion.
To help facilitate sharing of ideas I’ve categorised this into a few topics and added expanded thoughts under each. Let’s get started...
SettingThis is probably the topic I’ve given most thought to. I absolutely adore the game world of BotW. When I get a quest notification telling me to go to Kakariko Village for the first time it stirs up so many memories from past titles that I get excited about the journey and wondering what it might look like and everything that’s going to happen there. Though I’ve explored every inch of Hyrule in this game I would be very reluctant to see it completely moved on from in the next game. But despite this I also think I’d be very disappointed if it was the sole setting for a sequel. The answer then, I hear you ask...
Sadly there’s not a better picture.
This video shows it better.
The Land to the North. I think my dream would be to have the best of both worlds. Access to a revitalised Hyrule in which several of the destroyed settlements are rebuilt, namely Castle Town but also Lon Lon Ranch and Mabe Village as well outposts like Fort Hateno. I think it’d be brilliant to have a chance to see a thriving Hyrule but then midway through the quest to have a reason to break the boundaries and explore north to see a weird and wonderful new land (maybe a Termina style twist). It’s probably asking a bit much but that would be my dream.
This post has already gone on to long so I’ll pause there and and more detail later under the following topics.
Story
MechanicsVery interested to hear what you guys think.